It Ain't Easy Being Green
by XJA
Summary: Ever wondered what it is like to be labeled as a second banana? A certain green plumber happens to know just about everything when he wants to become the person he desires. The question is, what will it take for him in order to find his true self? Only time will tell.


**Hello, everyone, XJA here! This is going to be my very first fan fiction ever, so I hope I do well on this one. This story is dedicated to everybody's favorite green plumber, Luigi! Let's be real, even after the Year of Luigi, he does deserve the attention he needs after being overshadowed by Mario throughout his life. With that being said...**

**LET'S-A GO!**

**I do not own Mario or anything related to the series as they are the rightful property of Nintendo.**

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**_To Comfort a Sibling_**

**_Luigi has had enough of being ignored for far too long. Seeing his younger brother's meltdown, Mario must attempt to reassure Luigi and give him all the comfort he needs. He is the only one who can diminish the pain that Luigi had felt all these years. After all, what are brothers for?_**

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Luigi, the younger brother of the world-renowned hero, Mario. Ever since the Mario Bros. first arrived at the Mushroom Kingdom, they were always going out of their way to not only save the kingdom and Princess Peach from the evil clutches of Bowser, but also train themselves to become stronger when there is evil afoot. You would think that Luigi gets the same amount of praise as Mario does whenever they perform their good deeds.

Unfortunately, that is not the case.

As you may know, Luigi is not as well-respected as he thought he was. Although he does accompany Mario on many of his adventures, it is the _braver one_ who gets all the glory. The Mario Bros. have risked their lives countless times to fight against any kind of threat, resulting in peace returning to the world one time after another. Mario earns the credit for his heroic actions, while Luigi is rewarded with… little to nothing.

In most perspectives, Luigi was always seen as a coward who easily lets his fears get the best of him. The green-clad plumber is easy to intimidate because of his thin sanity. Luigi may not be the bravest of the bunch, but that doesn't take away his will to fight for what he believes in.

And to top it all off, the one thing that hurts Luigi the most is... the feeling of nonexistence. The younger Mario Brother has been forgotten for so long that almost nobody remembers him. Not many people can memorize his name, often referring to him as "Green Mario" or "Green 'Stache." Some even think Luigi is just a duplicate of Mario, only wearing green instead of red. He was never taken seriously and was often ignored.

Needless to say, it was absolutely too much for Luigi to handle. All the negativity had dug a massive hole in his heart. That hole is a symbol of pain filled with the grief and sorrow he endured over the years. It is only a matter of time before Luigi has a mental breakdown.

And it was about time he did, too.

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It was a peaceful morning in the Mushroom Kingdom. The sun is as shiny as ever, illuminating the entire atmosphere with its bright rays.

At the Mario Bros.' household, Luigi finally awakens from his deep slumber. "Oh, morning already?" He asked tiredly, rubbing the fatigue from his eyes. Luigi is ready to start a new day, and he hopes it will go well for him. He begins his daily routine by taking a shower, brushing his teeth, combing his mustache, and last but not least, putting on his everyday clothes.

"Well, another day, another dollar," Luigi said as he walked out of his and Mario's bedroom. The plumber in green heads toward the living room to check and see if his older brother is present.

No luck.

Luigi then investigates the kitchen, but Mario is not there, either. Desperate, he searches every single room inside the house for his brother, such as the back porch, the closets, the basement, the roof, you name it. After a frantic scavenger hunt throughout the residence in pursuit of his elder sibling, Luigi finally did the one thing that no else would have the guts to do: give up.

It is pretty obvious what happened even before Luigi woke up. The aforementioned green wonder does not have to be a genius to put the puzzle pieces together.

Once again, Mario has gone off on an adventure, unaware that he left his younger brother all alone in the house. Truth be told, Luigi was not even slightly surprised. As far as he was concerned, Mario is better off going on countless journeys without him. What happened to the brotherly bond they shared since day one? No matter the odds, the Mario Bros. stick together to overcome the obstacles that come their way. In Luigi's point of view, his trust in Mario seemed to fade in the blink of an eye. It was just not fair.

This reminded him of all the bad memories he had for most of his life: the mockery, the scorn, and the insults from those who even dared to damage Luigi's self-esteem. The times when he was unappreciated, expected to be dragged down to the point where it prevented him from becoming the strong person he desired. No matter what he did, Luigi never earned the glory he always wanted. He does not know what is currently breaking from the inside: his heart or his spirit. It was all coming back to haunt him.

Ultimately, this results in the green plumber reaching his breaking point.

**"WHY?! WHY DOES NO ONE EVER PAY ATTENTION TO LUIGI?"**

After shouting out his long overdue question, Luigi fell to his knees and began bawling his eyes out, letting all of the depression out of his system. He was lucky that no one was there to see him crying, as they would most likely make fun of him for being a "crybaby." He would never be able to live it down.

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening snaps Luigi out of his crying session, causing him to jump in fright. He stumbles back as far as possible, too startled to face the anonymous stranger who just barged in without warning.

Little did the green wonder know that the "stranger" is actually someone he looks up to.

"Calm down, bro! It's-a me, Mario!"

Luigi recognized that high-pitched voice anywhere, and with that familiar Italian accent, he can tell exactly who sounded just like it. He opened his eyes, and sure enough, it was Mario standing right in front of him, a concerned expression on his face. The green plumber lets out a huge sigh of relief upon seeing his older brother, trying to catch his breath from the unexpected encounter. "Oh, thank heavens."

Mario walked towards his brother and helps him up, putting his hands on Luigi's shoulders in an attempt to calm him down. "Are you all right?" Mario asked. "I-a heard you screaming in here."

"It's-a nothing," Luigi answered, finally catching his breath. "I'm-a fine."

Obviously, Mario has zero tolerance for lying, especially from his brother. However, his concern for Luigi makes the red plumber want to ease him from his current condition, and he will do whatever it takes to convince Luigi to fess up and tell him what is wrong.

Mario wraps his arm around Luigi's shoulder, further gaining the latter's attention. "Luigi, I know you," He informed calmly. "As your brother, I can tell that something is-a bothering you. Just tell me what's-a wrong so I can help you."

Luigi takes a deep breath and lets out a deep sigh. If telling Mario about his problem is the only way for him to ease the situation, then he has no other choice. Looking into the eyes of his big brother, Luigi was ready to answer.

"All right, Mario," Luigi complied. "Here it goes. You know how we-a went on countless journeys across the world and saved all those who needed our help?"

Mario nods his head as he memorized the various adventures that he and Luigi had previously embarked on. It is as if those times were just like yesterday.

Luigi sighed miserably. "Well, it's everything, to be honest."

"Everything?" Mario asked, confused by Luigi's answer.

Luigi nodded. "But what really bothers me is the way how people see me. They-a never saw me as someone who develops strength and courage. They only see me as a clumsy coward who is always making a fool out of himself-a. Not to mention that I am-a not as brave as I thought I was."

"Oh, Luigi, I'm-a so sorry," Mario apologized as he wrapped Luigi in a nice, warm, brotherly hug, with the latter doing the same. "I know you were-a hurting so much, but I didn't know it would-a be _this_ bad." How could the people they met on their past adventures make his younger brother feel like he is just a sidekick to him? Sure, while Luigi does not scale to Mario in terms of bravery, that does not make him different than any self-respecting hero. In all honestly, Mario does not blame Luigi for wanting to surpass his limits and overcome any obstacle that comes his way. Despite his efforts, there are still people who consider him a second banana.

And Mario is having NONE of it.

"It's-a not your fault, Mario," Luigi said, crying into his brother's shoulder. "It is just that… why do they keep forgetting about-a me?! I'm always being mocked for everything I do, and I just-a can't take it anymore!" After that heartbreaking speech, Luigi breaks down in tears again as Mario hugs him even more tightly, trying his very best to comfort the sobbing green plumber.

After five minutes have passed, the brothers release the hug and wipe their tears with tissues. Mario then places his right hand on Luigi's left shoulder, getting his younger brother's attention. "Luigi," he spoke in a calm tone of voice. "I want you to-a hear me out. You don't-a have to be brave in order to become a hero. You are already a hero in your own way. As-a long as you follow down that path, I just know you can pull this off-a. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Luigi could not believe what he just heard. Mario is encouraging him to be a hero in his own way? Never in his whole life would he look at his older brother in more ways than one. It is as if Mario was his personal conscience, and that made him see his elder sibling in a new light.

Luigi sheds another tear, but this one is filled with happiness. The praise from Mario is something he will never take for granted, and he shall always cherish the bond he shares with his brother until the end.

The siblings embrace each other in another warm hug, probably the best hug they have ever had in their whole lives. This is what is considered TRUE brotherly love.

"Thank you, Mario, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Luigi. What are brothers for?"

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**Hey, guys, I'm here again! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, make sure to leave a review in the comment section. This story will have more chapters coming soon, so the plot is far from over. Since this is my first year in college, I won't be as active as possible, but I will try not to keep you waiting for too long. In the meantime, I will be working on more stories for future readings. Like I said, this is my first fan fiction ever, so be sure to read and review. Also, shout-out to the lean, mean, green machine, Luigi! He truly deserves it.**

**Peace!**


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